An Angry Advent?

As I've gotten older, and more into liturgical seasons, Advent has become more important to me. Each week the readings at mass are more significant to me personally, and reflecting on them becomes more pleasurable and anticipatory. That being said, I have a confession to make. I have secretly started to become increasingly angry at the secular world for their "Merry Christmas" signs, the fact that they start playing Faith Hill's version of "O Holy Night" starting the day after Thanksgiving, and, most importantly, that they've made Christmas into a materialistic cash cow.

One particular day I was walking around frustrated that "Silent Night" had been playing on the radio when some combination of my conscience and my guardian angel chided me. I felt somewhat embarrassed and stopped. And as I thought about it more I realized being angry wasn't helping anyone (duh) and that I should actually feel sorry for the seculars.

My theory is that by making the Christmas season appear earlier than it should the secular world, on some level, has made us Catholics feel either guilty that we don't feel comfortable saying "Merry Christmas" back to the cashier at the store, or defensive and, subsequently, (at least on my part) angry. We don't say "Merry Christmas" on the first Sunday of Advent, we don't sing Christmas carols at mass, and so we're the weird ones, right? We need to get all uptight and shout loudly whenever we see a Christmas sign "PEOPLE, IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS YET!! TAKE THIS FREAKIN' SIGN DOWN!" Right?

Wrongo. The first thing we should do is continue practicing our faith. Let's check ourselves first and make sure we're doing everything as well as we can. Yes? Good? Ok next let's pray for the seculars. Yes, that's right! This is what I didn't understand until recently: because the secular world doesn't share in this time of reflection and anticipation neither can they share fully in the culmination of joy that is Christmas. Isn't that sad? Don't you just feel sorry for them? I do. For them Christmas is just a day when everyone happens to get together and give each other presents. For us, we few we happy few, Christmas is about CHRIST. We get to participate in the Christmas liturgy, we get to rejoice, Christ will be born on that day! Isn't it exciting?? I'm pumped, and ready to wait. Christ is worth waiting for.

"Maranatha is a cry of the heart

That's hopeful yet weary of waiting
While it may be joyful with the burdens it bears
It's sick with anticipating
To long for the Promised One day after day
And the promise that soon He'd return
It's certain that waiting's the most bitter lesson
A believing heart has to learn"

-Michael Card "Maranatha"